United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
CPI for Seniors Act of 2019 This bill directs the Bureau of Labor Statistics to prepare and publish a monthly Consumer Price Index for Seniors that indicates changes in expenditures typical for U.S. consumers aged 62 or older.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Employee Flexibility Act of 2019 This bill increases the hours of service required for an employee to be classified as a full-time employee for purposes of the employer mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide minimum essential health care coverage to full-time employees. The bill increases the hours of service threshold from an average of at least 30 hours of service a week to an average of at least 40 hours of service a week.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
This resolution recognizes and supports Bike to Work Day in which companies, organizations, and individuals are encouraged to participate in a Bike to Work event.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Huntington's Disease Parity Act of 2019 This bill waives, for individuals diagnosed with Huntington's Disease, the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage. Current law generally applies this waiting period to individuals deemed eligible for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2019 This bill addresses harassment at institutions of higher education (IHEs). Harassment includes certain conduct undertaken through technological means that limits a student's ability to benefit from the IHE's programs, or creates a hostile or abusive educational environment at the school. Specifically, the bill requires each IHE to include in its annual security report a statement of policy regarding harassment on the basis of a student's actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, and a sex stereotype), disability, or religion. In addition, the Department of Education may award grants to IHEs to initiate, expand, or improve programs to (1) prevent the harassment of students; (2) provide counseling or redress services to students who have been harassed or accused of subjecting other students to harassment; or (3) educate and train students, faculty, or staff to prevent harassment or address harassment if it occurs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act This bill prohibits employment practices that discriminate against making reasonable accommodations for job applicants or employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Specifically, the bill declares that it is an unlawful employment practice to (1) fail to make reasonable accommodations to known limitations of such job applicants or employees, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on an entity's business operation; (2) deny employment opportunities based on the need of the entity to make such reasonable accommodations to an applicant or employee; (3) require such job applicants or employees to accept an accommodation that they do not want, if such accommodation is unnecessary to perform the job; (4) require such employees to take paid or unpaid leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided to their known limitations; or (5) take adverse action in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment against an employee requesting or using such reasonable accommodations. The bill sets forth enforcement procedures and remedies under various statutes that cover different types of employees in relation to such unlawful employment practices. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission must provide examples of reasonable accommodations that shall be provided to affected job applicants or employees unless the employer can demonstrate that doing so would impose an undue hardship. The bill prohibits state immunity under the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution from an action for a violation of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2019 This bill addresses the storage and disposal of nuclear waste. Among other things, the bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to initiate a program to consolidate and temporarily store commercial spent nuclear fuel during the development, construction, and operation of a permanent nuclear waste repository; addresses federal land withdrawal and related management issues, including the permanent withdrawal of specific federal land for repository use by DOE; updates the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing process and conditions for the permanent repository; limits activities relating to developing a separate defense waste repository used for storing high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel derived from the atomic energy defense activities of DOE; authorizes DOE to enter into agreements to provide benefits to state, local, and tribal governments that might host or be affected by facilities related to storing nuclear waste; revises the method by which DOE funds its nuclear waste management activities though the collection and usage of the Nuclear Waste Fund; creates an Office of Spent Nuclear Fuel within DOE; and requires DOE to establish a Stranded Nuclear Waste Task Force to study existing resources and funding for communities that contain stranded nuclear waste and develop economic adjustment plans for such communities.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Disarm Hate Act The bill expands the categories of persons who are prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm. Specifically, it prohibits firearm sale or transfer to and receipt, possession, shipment, or transport by a person (1) who has been convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime, or (2) who has received an enhanced hate crime misdemeanor sentence.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act of 2019 This bill directs the Office of Justice Programs within the Department of Justice to award grants to law enforcement agencies for behavioral health crisis response training.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through December 31, 2027, provisions requiring the U.S. Postal Service to issue a special postage stamp for first-class mail that costs more than the regular first-class stamp to raise funds for breast cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2019
Newborn Care Improvement Act of 2019 This bill increases from 7 to 14 the number of days that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may furnish health care services, including post-delivery care, to the newborn child of a woman veteran who delivered the child in a VA facility or another facility pursuant to a VA contract for such services.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act of 2019 This bill establishes various programs to address substance use disorder and opioid addiction, including grants for treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services as well as a program to distribute overdose reversal drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Suicide and Threat Assessment Nationally Dedicated to Universal Prevention Act of 2019 This bill requires state and tribal education agencies that receive grant funding for priority mental-health needs to establish and implement (1) evidence-based suicide awareness and prevention training policies, and (2) school threat assessment teams. School threat assessment teams consist of two or more school personnel who are trained to identify, assess, and respond to threats of suicide and interpersonal violence.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2019
STEM Opportunities Act of 2019 This bill provides for guidance, data collection, and grants for groups historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at institutions of higher education (IHEs) and at federal science agencies. Specifically, the bill requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to provide specified guidance related to such groups to federal science agencies and IHEs. Each federal science agency must collect comprehensive demographic data on recipients of merit-reviewed research and development grants given to IHEs and federal laboratories supported by that agency. Each agency must also implement recommendations from the OSTP report titled Reducing the Impact of Bias in the STEM Workforce . In addition, each agency must carry out a pilot program and implement policies and practices to minimize the effect of implicit bias in the grant review process. The National Science Foundation (NSF) must carry out and publish a survey to collect institution-level data on the demographics of STEM faculty, by broad fields of STEM, at different types of IHEs. The NSF must also carry out a variety of grant programs, including grants for increasing (1) the recruitment, retention, and advancement of individuals from underrepresented minority groups in STEM careers; (2) the recruitment and retention of minority students who are underrepresented in STEM fields; and (3) student participation in computer science and computational thinking education programs at tribal colleges and universities.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act This bill preferences for grants under the children's asthma treatment program states that require schools to establish allergy and asthma management programs that include individual action plans for students diagnosed with allergies or asthma.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2019 This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act and related labor laws to extend protections to union workers. Specifically, it revises the definition of "employee" and "supervisor" to prevent employers from classifying employees as exempt from labor law protections, expands unfair labor practices to include prohibitions against replacement of or discrimination against workers who participate in strikes, makes it an unfair labor practice to require or coerce employees to attend employer meetings designed to discourage union membership, permits workers to participate in collective or class action litigation, allows injunctions against employers engaging in unfair labor practices involving discharge or serious economic harm to an employee, expands penalties for labor law violations, including interference with the National Labor Relations Board or causing serious economic harm to an employee, and allows any person to bring a civil action for harm caused by labor law violations or unfair labor practices.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Securing American Nonprofit Organizations Against Terrorism Act of 2019 This bill establishes in the Department of Homeland Security a Nonprofit Security Grant Program, under which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall make grants to eligible nonprofit organizations (tax-exempt organizations and those determined to be at risk of a terrorist attack) for target hardening and other security enhancements to protect against terrorist attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Chemical Poisons Reduction Act of 2019 or Canyon's Law This bill prohibits the use of sodium fluoroacetate (i.e., Compound 1080) and sodium cyanide in a predator control device. It imposes criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to two years, or both—on a violator. A predator control device is a dispenser, livestock collar, or gas cartridge that propels, releases, or emits sodium fluoroacetate or sodium cyanide for wildlife management or animal control purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 and revises the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 to expand services for preventing and treating child abuse. Specifically, the bill establishes requirements concerning collecting and exchanging data about child abuse and neglect. For instance, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to (1) establish uniform national standards for tracking and reporting child fatalities and near-fatalities resulting from maltreatment, and (2) develop an electronic interstate data exchange system that allows states to share information from their child abuse and neglect registries with other states. In addition, the bill addresses child abuse and neglect related to families impacted by substance use disorders, racial bias in the child protective services system, and child sexual abuse. Finally, the bill requires HHS to examine unregulated custody transfers and make recommendations for preventing, identifying, and responding to such transfers.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2019 This bill bars the Department of Agriculture from allowing the construction of roads, the reconstruction of roads, or logging in an inventoried roadless area where those activities are prohibited by the Roadless Rule (i.e., certain federal regulations relating to roadless area management).
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Better Respiration through Expanding Access to Tele-Health Act or the BREATHE Act This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish a pilot program in which qualifying respiratory therapists may provide telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, the program must allow respiratory therapists to provide telehealth disease management services (e.g., smoking cessation counseling) for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Willie O'Ree, in recognition of his contributions and commitment to hockey, inclusion, and recreational opportunity.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
BuyAmerican.gov Act of 2019 This bill directs the President and specified federal agencies to take steps to increase transparency and limit the use of waivers of Buy American laws. Generally, Buy American requires agencies to procure domestic goods. The bill requires (1) the Department of Commerce to report periodically to Congress and the President on the implementation of, and compliance with, Buy American laws; (2) Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to assess the impacts of all U.S. free trade agreements and the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement on the operation of such laws; and (3) the General Services Administration (GSA) to establish a free, publicly available BuyAmerican.gov website. Public interest waivers from Buy American laws shall be construed to ensure the maximum utilization of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States. The President shall develop a mechanism to collect information on requests to waive Buy American laws and other domestic content restrictions for purposes of providing early notice to possible waivers via the website. Executive agencies shall make information concerning the intention to issue a waiver or exception in connection with a federal procurement available to the GSA at least 20 days prior to waiving a Buy American law. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress within two years of this bill's enactment describing the bill's implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
Puppy Protection Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to expand standards that govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals to include new requirements for commercial dog dealers. Specifically, the standards must require dog dealers to provide to dogs adequate housing, exercise, and veterinary care; appropriate and nutritious food; continuous access to potable water; and meaningful socialization with humans and compatible dogs for at least 30 minutes each day. The standards must also include requirements for breeders to use safe breeding practices and make all reasonable efforts to find humane placement for retired breeding dogs.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Mental Health Awareness Month to remove the stigma associated with mental illness and to place emphasis on scientific findings regarding mental health recovery.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2019
National Museum of the American Latino Act This bill establishes the National Museum of the American Latino in the Smithsonian Institution. The purposes of the museum are to (1) illuminate Latino contributions to the story of the United States; (2) provide for the collection, study, research, publication, and establishment of exhibitions and programs related to Latino life, art, history, and culture; and (3) provide for collaboration with Smithsonian Institution museums and research centers and other museums and educational institutions in the United States and abroad to promote the study and appreciation of Latino life, art, history, culture, and its impact on society in the United States. The bill establishes a Board of Trustees for the museum to advise and assist the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian on all matters related to the administration and preservation of the museum. The Director of the museum shall manage the museum and may carry out educational and liaison programs in support of its goals. The Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services shall establish and carry out specified grant programs and a scholarship program, including a grant program to promote the understanding of the Latin American diaspora in the United States. The Board of Regents shall designate a site for the museum and is authorized to design and construct it.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2019
Women's Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 400,000 $1 silver coins that are emblematic of the women who played a vital role in rallying support for the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Such coins may be issued during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on December 31, 2020. All surcharges received from the sales of such coins shall be paid to the American Women's History Initiative of the Smithsonian Institution.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2019
American Manufacturing Leadership Act This bill revises the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing USA program and extends through FY2024 and revises the Economic Development Administration's Regional Innovation Program. The bill grants certain authorities of the Department of Commerce under the Manufacturing USA program to additional federal agencies. All centers under the Manufacturing USA program shall (currently, may) conduct research and development and related activities. The Manufacturing USA program office must, among other things, help develop pilot programs that may be implemented for manufacturing innovation. The General Accountability Office shall triennially assess Manufacturing USA program operations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2019
Tobacco to 21 Act This bill prohibits the sale of tobacco products to (1) anyone under the age of 21, or (2) anyone under the age of 30 without photo identification of the purchaser's age. The Food and Drug Administration must enforce this prohibition by, for example, conducting undercover compliance checks, performing retailer inspections, and initiating enforcement actions for noncompliance. The bill establishes penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2019
This resolution urges (1) the President to issue a proclamation recognizing Earth Day, consistent with the practice of the previous administration; and (2) governments and people to continue building upon the Paris Agreement and other efforts to ensure that future generations inherit a livable, sustainable, and ecologically rich planet. In addition, it encourages the American people to mark Earth Day by working to address environmental challenges, educate others about the need for year-round action, and honor the stewardship ethic for which Senator Gaylord Nelson stood.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2019
Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2019 or the PRENDA Act of 2019 This bill creates new federal crimes related to the performance of sex-selection abortions (i.e., abortions based on the sex or gender of an unborn child). It subjects a violator to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. It also authorizes civil remedies, including damages and injunctive relief. A woman who undergoes a sex-selection abortion may not be prosecuted or held civilly liable.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2019
Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, known as the "Ghost Army," collectively, in recognition of its service during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2019
Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 the Community Health Center Fund, which provides enhanced funding for community health centers and the National Health Service Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2019
Scarlett’s Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act This bill establishes various programs for the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) to award grants to states, local agencies, and nonprofit organizations to address sudden unexpected infant and childhood deaths. The CDC must award grants to eligible applicants to (1) conduct comprehensive death scene investigations, (2) increase the rate of standardized autopsies, and (3) obtain informed consent from families to collect genetic or tissue samples for research into the causes of such deaths. The bill also provides grants for training medical examiners, and other appropriate personnel, about standardized investigative practices, including the infant or child's medical history, other circumstances surrounding the death. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the Department of Health and Human Services also must provide grants to states to develop the capacity for local governments to comprehensively review 100% of all infant and child deaths and maintain the National Fatality Review Case Reporting System. Further, the CDC must use such national reporting system to compile and make publicly available summary data about sudden unexpected infant and childhood deaths. The CDC also must revise its death investigation forms to align with the form used under the national reporting system. Additionally, the bill requires the ACF to award grants to (1) promote evidence-based best practices, (2) support prevention efforts, (3) provide safe-sleep products, and (4) support the provision of services to families who have had an infant or child die from a sudden unexpected death.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2019
Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large Animal Trophies Act or the CECIL Act This bill addresses international wildlife conservation efforts and trophy hunting. Specifically, this bill restricts (1) the importation or exportation of species that have been proposed to be listed as threatened or endangered species, or (2) the importation of a sport-hunted trophy of a threatened species or endangered species. In addition, the bill abolishes the International Wildlife Conservation Council of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Finally, the Government Accountability Office must study the effectiveness of trophy hunting in supporting international wildlife conservation efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2019
National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act or the NO BAN Act This bill imposes limitations on the President's authority to suspend or restrict aliens from entering the United States and terminates certain presidential actions implementing such restrictions. It also prohibits religious discrimination in various immigration-related decisions, such as whether to issue an immigrant or non-immigrant visa, with certain exceptions. The President may temporarily restrict the entry of any aliens or class of aliens after the Department of State determines that the restriction would address specific acts that threaten U.S. interests such as security or public safety. The bill also imposes limitations on such restrictions, such as requiring the President, State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide specific evidence of a need for the restriction, and to narrowly tailor the restriction to meet a compelling government interest. Before imposing a restriction, the President, State Department, and DHS shall consult with Congress. The State Department and DHS shall report to Congress about the restriction within 48 hours of the restriction's imposition, with regular updates. If such reports are not made, the restriction shall immediately terminate.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2019
Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct an interagency review of the status of women and lung cancer. The review must report on the status of existing research and current knowledge gaps; identify new opportunities for collaborative research to determine the causes of lung cancer and advance prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment; and provide recommendations for a national cancer screening strategy and public education campaign.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2019
Stop for School Buses Act of 2019 This bill addresses safety measures and programs to prevent the illegal passing of school buses. Specifically, the Department of Transportation must conduct a review of existing state laws and programs regarding the illegal passing of school buses; create a nationwide public safety campaign to highlight the importance of illegally passing school buses; review and evaluate the effectiveness of various technologies to enhance school bus safety; review driver education materials in states to determine how the illegal passing of school buses is addressed; and research the connections between the illegal passing of school buses and other safety issues, including distracted driving.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2019
Driving America Forward Act This bill expands the tax credit for new plug-in electric drive motor vehicles and extends the tax credit for new fuel cell motor vehicles. (Under current law, taxpayers who purchase a qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle are eligible for a tax credit of up to $7,500, which begins to phase out once a manufacturer sells 200,000 qualified vehicles.) The bill allows an additional 400,000 vehicles per manufacturer to be eligible for a credit of up to $7,000 before the credit begins to phase out. The bill also extends the tax credit for fuel cell motor vehicles through 2028. (Under current law, the credit expired after 2017.)
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2019
Growing Artificial Intelligence Through Research Act or the GrAITR Act This bill requires certain federal activities related to artificial intelligence, including implementation by the President of a National Artificial Intelligence Initiative. The initiative must invest in artificial intelligence research and support the development of an artificial intelligence science and technology workforce pipeline, among other activities. The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) shall establish or designate a National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee to advise the OSTP on matters related to the initiative; a National Artificial Intelligence Coordination Office to provide technical and administrative support to the advisory committee and serve as the point of contact on federal artificial intelligence activities; and an Interagency Committee on Artificial Intelligence to coordinate the artificial intelligence and technology research and education activities and programs of the federal agencies, among other activities. The National Institute of Standards and Technology shall, among other things carry out initiative activities, including by awarding contracts as necessary; support the development of measurements and standards necessary to advance commercial development of artificial intelligence applications; and establish collaborative ventures or consortia. The National Science Foundation shall implement a research and education program on artificial intelligence and engineering, and award grants to establish up to five Multidisciplinary Centers for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education to conduct activities in support of the initiative. The Department of Energy shall carry out an artificial intelligence research program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2019
Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act of 2019 or the JOLT Act of 2019 This bill establishes a nonimmigrant visa for qualified Canadian citizens and makes various amendments related to nonimmigrant visas. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may admit as a visitor a Canadian citizen who (1) is at least 50 years old, (2) maintains a residence in Canada, (3) owns a U.S. residence or has signed a rental agreement for the duration of the stay, (4) is not inadmissible or deportable under various provisions, (5) will not engage in U.S. employment, and (6) will not seek U.S. assistance or benefits. Such visitors may be admitted for up to 240 days out of any single 365-day period. The Visa Waiver Program (program allowing citizens of participating countries to visit the United States without a visa) shall be renamed the Secure Travel Partnership Program. The bill amends various provisions relating to the program, such as the maximum nonimmigrant visa refusal rate a qualifying country may have. DHS may waive the refusal rate requirement if a country meets other requirements, such as entering into intelligence collection and information sharing arrangements with the United States. The Department of State shall set a goal of interviewing nonimmigrant visa applicants worldwide within 15 days of receiving the application and periodically report to Congress on efforts to meet this goal. The State Department shall conduct a pilot program for using secure remote videoconferencing technology for conducting visa interviews for certain classes of nonimmigrant visa applications.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2019
Guaranteed Refugee Admission Ceiling Enhancement Act or the GRACE Act This bill establishes that the maximum number of refugees admitted each fiscal year shall be no less than 95,000 and that the maximum number shall be treated as the numerical goal for refugee admissions for the applicable fiscal year. The President may set a higher number if it is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest. Currently, the number admitted each fiscal year may not exceed 50,000 unless the President determines that a higher number is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest. The bill directs the President to take into consideration information from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees when establishing the maximum admission number and making certain other related decisions. The President shall report to Congress quarterly on (1) the number of refugees admitted during the preceding quarter, (2) the number of aliens who were security-cleared during the preceding quarter, (3) a plan to reach the numerical goal for admitted refugees for that fiscal year, and (4) other related information.